Page 76 of False Flag

“Yep.”

“Sorry, I never got that far in my background research on Campbell. I didn’t start paying attention to his theories until last year, and he moved on from that a while ago.”

“You started following him after you were assaulted by Archaeology Truthers.”

“Yes. And Campbell’s theories about prehistoric bioweapons wiping out ancient civilizations has consumed my attention. I believe the knife that cut me was laced with bacteria. I developed MRSA and was hospitalized for a week.”

“You could have gotten that in the hospital when you were stitched up.”

“I know. But I have a hard time believing it. The cut itself wasn’t that bad. It was terrifying and horrible, but it didn’t seem like my attacker was trying to kill me. Until I almost died from the infection.”

Jake held her gaze. “I’m not one of them, Staci. I never was. I was at the fundraiser that night for Lloyd. It was the first time he wanted to spend time with me since his wife left him. Even when our mother died two years ago, he barely spoke to me. I grieved alone. When Lloyd reached out, he said he was into this thing, and he wanted to share it with me…I jumped at it. I wanted my brother back.”

Tears started to fall. Dammit.

He didn’t hold back, though. He leaned into the pain of it. “I didn’t know I was joining a cult. I just wanted my family.” He looked up at the ceiling as tears streaked down his face. “Eighteen months ago, I requested a transfer from my team on Coronado to Little Creek. Lloyd had moved to the DC area after his divorce. I figured if I moved to the same coast, he couldn’t ignore me forever. It took six months for the transfer to go through. When it did, I rented a house in Virginia Beach with a view of the Chesapeake where it meets the Atlantic. It reminded me of our childhood home on Puget Sound. I imagined going fishing with Lloyd before the sun rose. Just like when we were kids.”

He felt Staci’s hand on his. He turned his wrist and cradled her palm.

“I was there for six months before Lloyd agreed to see me. He wanted me to go to a fundraiser in DC with him. I was fucking elated.”

Her hand squeezed his. Silent encouragement to continue.

“I listened to enough of Gerard’s podcasts to be certain I wouldn’t embarrass Lloyd with my ignorance. I didn’t really think about what the guy was saying. Even if I had, I’d have gone to that fundraiser and sat at that table and smiled. I wasn’t going to ruin my chance to reconnect with my brother.”

“Did things get better between you two after that night?”

He gave a slight nod. His eyes were closed, with his face tilted toward the ceiling. Hot tears streamed down, but he didn’t care. It was good to be saying this to her at last.

“He loved it that I crashed and burned with you. I might have even played that up a bit because it made him happy.” He opened his eyes and faced her, vision blurry with tears. “You were quite the sensation at the big table. Gerard was ready to ban nametags.”

“And I was so disappointed you were an apostle.”

“You mentioned apostles before. Were there twelve of us at the main table?”

“Yes. Gerard made thirteen in the center. You were the only one I really noticed, though. I didn’t recognize Lloyd when I was at the vice president’s residence. If I had, things would have been different at the paintball party. At that point, you knew I’d been hired for the expedition, didn’t you?”

He nodded. “Lloyd called me after he left the Naval Observatory the night before the party.”

“And he had no idea you and I would be spending the next day together.”

“None at all. I didn’t tell him I was in DC for the weekend. I didn’t have time to see him. Plus, he never wanted to know what I was doing with other SEALs. Work or play.”

“He was jealous. I take it he wanted to be a SEAL?”

Jake explained about Lloyd’s time in the Navy and the reason his ex-wife gave for ending their four-year marriage.

“What Lloyd said this morning makes a lot more sense now.” She curled up against his side. “Shit. Jake. I’m so sorry.”

He draped an arm around her, reeling that he and Lloyd had argued just this morning.

“I’m sorry too. If things had been different—between you and me, between me and him—I’d have given one or both of you the heads-up. Before you boarded the plane. Or after I got here. But that was never possible.”

“Because I was a coward that night.”

“You thought I was an apostle, and I never said anything to disabuse you of that notion. For what it’s worth, I wasn’t supposed to tell you I’m not a fan of Campbell. Orders from my CO.”

“What does NSWC have to do with this?”